Legislature, don't approve lease of the Toll Road

March 11, 2006

We urge the Indiana General Assembly to respect the growing dissension over key components of Gov. Mitch Daniels' Major Moves initiative. There are serious concerns in every region of the state over the massive road construction legislation. In southern Indiana, residents are worried about the prospect of Interstate 69 from Indianapolis to Evansville being built as a toll road. In central Indiana, disagreement is strong over where I-69 should enter Indianapolis. In northern Indiana, unanswered questions about long-term economic consequences of leasing the Indiana Toll Road to a private company for 75 years have turned residents overwhelmingly against the proposal. It is clear that there is a lack of consensus in the state -- or even in any region of the state -- that this proposal is good for Indiana. With such serious statewide concern, it would be wrong to cut backroom deals in a conference committee and then pass Major Moves strictly on a partisan basis. We have said from the beginning that we do not know whether it is a good idea to lease the Toll Road in exchange for a $3.85 billion up-front cash infusion. It might be. But we do know that it is not a good idea to do it during this short legislative session, without time to conduct an in-depth fiscal analysis of the complex proposal. It is the General Assembly's duty to understand the long-term consequences of all its actions. The legislature should recognize that there are good reasons for the strong resistance to Major Moves in northern Indiana, and for the growing resistance in central and southern parts of the state. We ask senators and representatives to step back and take a more deliberative view. If the lease of the Toll Road is a good idea this year, then it will be a good idea next year, too -- one that could be adopted with confidence and consensus. Legislators will be making a major mistake if they vote for this bill in spite of their constituents' deep concerns and their own better instincts.